That became obvious Tuesday when Rams receiver Pharoh Cooper arrived at UC Irvine with two items: a suitcase full of clothes and a large desk fan. The essentials of dorm life never change, even in the NFL.

The Rams’ rookies checked in for training camp Tuesday, a couple dozen players chasing the professional dream for the first time. They were greeted by team employees, who handed each player a lanyard with a room key, an ID badge and directions to their on-campus home for the next five weeks.

“I thought I left college, but it seems like we’re right back at it,” tight end Temarrick Hemingway said. “I just need textbooks to study for my chemistry test tomorrow. It’s a great atmosphere. I love it here, even though the heat is terrible.”

Thus the desk fans, although Irvine reached a high of only 86 degrees Tuesday. St. Louis, the Rams’ previous home, climbed to 89 degrees with 75-percent humidity.

Perhaps the extra attention turned up the temperature a bit. From the moment the rookies arrived on campus – either by car, taxi or shuttle bus – they were followed non-stop by crews that are tracking players for the HBO series, “Hard Knocks.”

“Doesn’t really feel different (than college) until all the cameras,” tight end Tyler Higbee said.

Soon, the rookies will face a different type of heat. After they get settled into the dorm rooms – every player, rookie or veteran, has a roommate – the rookies will practice Wednesday and Thursday. Veteran players arrive Thursday and Friday, and the first full-team practice will take place Saturday afternoon.

The Rams have 27 rookies on their roster, and the first set of cuts will drop the roster from 90 players to 75. Many of these rookies are the players on the fringes. They got a chance to impress coaches during lower-intensity optional workouts in May and June, but now the margin for error has vanished.

“OTAs, you were just trying not to mess up,” Cooper said. “Training camp, the confidence level is higher, you know the playbook and you can start running full speed with the pads on.”

Cooper described his anxiety level as “about 10 out of 10,” even though his spot on the eventual final 53-player roster seems secure. Same goes for quarterback Jared Goff, who checked in Tuesday but was not made available for comment.

“Training camp is here, so it’s time to see where we’re actually at,” receiver Mike Thomas said.

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